Pencil or crayon holder



(No Model.)

H. D. CARUSO.

PENCIL 0R GRAYON HOLDER.

No. 362,933. PatentedlVIay 17, 1887.

N. PEIERS. Fhotwmhugnpher. washmgmn. D. C.

NITED STATES ArnNr Ormea..

HENRY D. CARUSO, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LEAD PENCIL COMPANY, OF NEV YORK.

PENCIL OR CRAYON HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,933, dated May 17, 1887.

Application filed June 21,1884. Renewed March 2G. 1887, Serial No. 232,571. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY D. CARUSO, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencils, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to pencils of the classin which the lead or crayon slides in its sheath or holder and is adapted to be projected by simple pressure upon the butt of the pencil, or to be pushed back within its sheath by pressure upon the point of the crayon or lead.

In pencils of this class as hitherto constructed it is found that, owing to the lubrieating nature of the graphite, the lead finally works loosely in its sheath, and is not, therefore, properly retained in either its projected or retracted position.

The principal aim of my invention is to overcome this difficulty; and to this end my invention consists in the combination, with the sheath having a bore in which the crayon slides, of a slot in said sheath cnt through to the bore and an elastic detaining device mounted in the slot and bearing against the side of the pencil with an elastic pressure.

A further aim of my invention is to make asimple and cheap pencil in which the crayon or lead may be projected by simply pressing the butt of the pencil upon a table or other object, while it may be pushed back within its sheath by similarly pressing the point of the crayon upon any object; and to this end my invention consists in the novel and simplified combinations shown in the accompanying drawings, and which will be more specitically stated in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view of one form of pencil constructed according to my invention'. Fig. 2 is a side view of the sheath or case with the cap-piece and sleeve upon the butt removed. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section of the complete pencil. Fig. 4t is a side view of a modified form of the pencil. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 4.

A, Fig. l, indicates the sheath or case, hollow at its center and made preferably of wood. This sheath, like that of the ordinary leadpencil, is to be cut away to expose the lead to a greater or less extent, either originally to prepare the pencil for use, or from time to time, as the lead wears down.

B indicates the crayon or lead adapted to slide backward and forward in the sheath or case, so that its end may be projected from the point of the pencil for usc, or may be pushed back within and covered by the sheath by pressing the point against any object.

G indicates a cap or guard of any suitable kind, adapted to slide on or in the butt of the sheath or case. It consists preferably of a thin sheet-metal tube sliding on the outside ot' the butt and closed atits outer end, preferably by a piece of soft rubber, serving as an eraser. The crayon or lead B ixnpinges against the sliding cap or guard, but is not attached thereto, and said cap, while protecting the inner end ot the crayon or lead from injury, serves to project the point of the crayon from the sheath when pressure is applied to the cap by the finger or otherwise. The end of the cap which works on the end of the sheath has its edge turned over at I), while the sheet-metal ferrule G on the end of the sheath is provided with a corresponding offset at a, against which the edge of the cap-piece abuts when forced outward by the crayon. The crimping c at the other end of the tube or cap serves to limit the movement of the cap in projecting the lead.

It will be observed that the crayon may slide back and forth independently of the cap or guard on the butt, and that there is no rigid connection between them.

Heretofore where the crayon has been attached to the cap directly or indirectly difficulty has been experienced in making the crayon, when attached to the cap, exactly coincide with the bore in the sheath, and the result has been frequent breakage of the crayon, either in inserting it into the sheath or from an attempt to turn the cap on the sheath when the crayon is in place. This difficulty is avoided in my construction, as the crayon is detached or disconnected from the cap and simply abuts against the same.

In order to prevent the crayon from moving freely in its sheath, which it may otherwise do after considerable use, I provide a fric- IOO tion retaining device bearing against the side of the crayon with an elastic pressure and mounted in or on the sheath or holder, or some part fixed therewith. For this purpose I generally prefer to use simply a piece of soft rubber or other elastic material, but do not limit myselfin this respect, as any device whereby an elastic pressure and friction may be applied to the side o f the crayon may be employed. @ne of the ways in which such friction retainingl devlce may be applied and held in place 1s s hown in Figs. 2 and 3, where E indicates a piece of soft rubber mounted in aslot or recess cut in the side ofthe sheath, and held in place by the ferrule G, as-indicated. The ferrule is ittedtightly to the sheath A. The slot cut 1n the sidev of the sheath extends through tothe bore in which the crayon reciprocates, and the rubber bears against the side of said crayon with a friction-pressure.

When the crayon is in place, the manner ofA using the pencil is as follows: To prepare it for use the butt is pressed firmly against some object so as to cause the cap to slide toward the polnt and to push the lead in the same directlon. lt' the lead does not then project, the sheath is cut away to the desired distance, so as to eripose the lead for use. rEhe length of lead exposed should be no more than is required for ordinary use, and should be equal to or less than the amount of play that the cap 1s permitted to have upon the butt, so that on pressing the point against some object the crayon may slide to a sufficient distance to have its point sheathed. As the point "Wears down the sheath may be cut away.

'In the modiiicationof myinvention shown in Figs. .tand 5 the ferruleis dispensed with, and the cap-piece or guard C slides directly on the end ofthe sheath A. The sliding movement of the cap is limited by means of the crimp or bead formed upon it at F, which abuts against the material of the sheath at the extremitiesv v-of the depression or annular groove formed on the material of the sheath.

The body of the cap-piece or guard C in this instance servesA as the sleeve or ferrule whereby the elastic friction-bloclcE is held in its socket.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a pencil having a crayon or lead adapted to be projected by the application of pressure to the butt, the combination, with the sheath having a slot in its side cut through to the crayon,of a piece of elastic material held in the. slot by any suitable means so as lto bear against the side of the crayon, as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the slotted and perforated sheath and its contained lead, of the piece of elastic material in the slot and an exterior metal sleeve over the slot, as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with a wooden sheath, as A', having thelongit-udinal bore for a crayon, and a slot in its side cut through to said bore. of a sheet-metaltube, G, closed at its outer end by a piece of sott rubber and sliding upon the end of the sheathand an elastic friction-piece held in the slot in the side of the sheath and bearing against the side ofthe crayon,.as and for the purpose'described. i

4. A pencil or crayon holder consisting of the sheath A, having a slot in its side cut through to the crayon and holding a piece of elastic material, and a sliding cap of sheet metal having a crimp or bead, as at F, working over an annular groove or depression formed in the material ofthe sheath.

Signed at NewYork, in the county ot' New 

